


Dead Flowers

by DhampirsDrinkEspresso



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Based on a nightmare, Blood Drinking, F/F, F/M, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Multi, Past Character Death, Playing It Fast and Loose with The Mythology, Profanity, Rating Changed, Referenced Death, Tags May Change, The Heads of Cerberus are Separate Entities, Vampire Rey (Star Wars), Violence, cursing, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25771843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DhampirsDrinkEspresso/pseuds/DhampirsDrinkEspresso
Summary: Centuries ago, he was taken from her, and she made a deal to win him back. Seven incarnations, seven chances. Six are gone, and Rey - once known as Persephone, Queen of the Underworld - is running out of time to reclaim her husband.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Bazine Netal/Kylo Ren, Kaydel Co Connix/Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kaydel Ko Connix/Armitage Hux, Kaydel Ko Connix/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 13
Kudos: 69





	1. Something With Grenadine

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, don't expect accuracy here. I am twisting the mythology all out of sorts. This was inspired by a dream/nightmare I had about a vampire who owns a flower shop, commits corporate espionage, and lives in an abandoned stairwell...while I didn't stick with ALL the details of my nightmare (Rey does not live in a stairwell, although she may hide out and/or sleep there sometimes), I definitely ran with the ideas there.
> 
> Rating moved to teen...they didn't have the potty mouth issue I expected.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She finds him, and she's not ready.
> 
> _“What can I get you?”  
>  “Something with grenadine.”  
> Poe’s head snaps up. “You’ve found him.” He studies her then. “Why do I get the sense that’s not a good thing?”_

She glances around her, ears straining for the slightest sound. So far all has gone according to plan and even if they do catch her they can’t actually _catch_ her, but still…it’s a point of pride, now.

She is the _best_.

The drive clicks into place and she glances around again.

The server room is state of the art and it has taken _months_ to get access. One wrong move, one breath in the wrong direction, and all will be for naught. As she waits, she reflects that it is fortunate, then, that she doesn’t actually _need_ to breathe.

She does sometimes, out of habit and for the comfort of the mortals around her. They never seem to actually _notice_ consciously, but they usually tense, some survival instinct in their primal lizard brain identifying her as a predator. So, she breathes. Usually.

She checks the drive again, the cables and transmitter. Poe guaranteed her they would be undetectable. Here was hoping he’d been right.

She presses the one tiny button on the transmitter, risks checking her phone.

So far, so good, but time is running out. She moves quickly, light on her feet. The next guard rotation is due on this floor in two minutes. The pair patrolling tonight takes approximately seven minutes to get this far.

She reaches the door, gloved hand grasping the handle as she waits exactly eight seconds for the lock to disengage. She is in the stairwell before the guards step out of the elevator. One more stop, just the lab left now, and then she can get out of this building, too cold and too bright, and head to the dim warmth of _Underworld_.

She pauses at the final entry door to the lab, hand poised over the keypad that unlocks the fingerprint and retinal scanners. A dim glow creeps around the door. The lights are on, and now that she is paying attention to it, she can hear the small sounds of movement, the steady and assuring thump of a heartbeat. She smells something sweet…vanilla, maybe?

Oh, it’s _him._

Dr. Ben Solo.

Damn. This would be much easier if he hadn’t decided to work late. She steels herself with a deep, slow breath, and punches in her code. She has to wait for the scans to complete and then the door unlocks with a harsh buzz followed by the hiss of hydraulics. She goes straight for the desk area shared by the research assistants.

“Good evening Dr. Solo, you’re here late again.”

“Hm? Oh, hello Rey,” he mutters absently, intent on the animal in his arms.

Unable to help herself she walks closer, stroking a finger along the edge of the happy little bat’s ear. “Hello, Sidney my darling.” The creature squirms, trying to get closer, leaning into her touch, the action drawing a rare smile from Dr. Solo.

“What has _you_ here so late, Rey?”

She waves in the general direction of the desk. “Oh, just, got halfway out and realized I forgot something.”

He shifts and nods, focus back on the flying mammal cradled gently in his hands.

She should go. Really. But she can’t seem to help watching as he gently checks Sidney’s vitals, offers another piece of fruit. Suddenly she is desperate for a reason to stay.

“Dr. Solo, since I’m here anyway, have Samson and Delilah been fed yet?”

“Rey, please, it’s Ben. You make me feel old.”

She snorts, already halfway to the large cage on the far side of the room where the mated pair of screech owls are housed. “Hello my lovelies! And how are we tonight?” Samson’s eyes glare balefully at her for a moment. “Yes, yes, I know you get offended if I don’t greet you first,” she mutters, pulling on the heavy glove and offering her arm. All seems to be forgiven as soon as she does.

“I still don’t know how you do that,” Dr. Solo— _Ben_ —mutters from where he is gently returning Sidney to the bat enclosure. “He’s a mean son of a bitch who hates everyone.”

“Well, he likes _me_ ,” she insists with some satisfaction. She can’t tell him why, not that he would believe it anyway, but all the animals in the lab adore Rey.

As if to illustrate Ben’s point, Samson lunges forward when Ben moves closer to check his vitals, managing to catch Ben’s fingertip with the edge of his beak.

“Ouch! Shit! Motherfu—!” Ben cuts himself off, as if worried his language might offend Rey. It’s enough to make her smile for a moment before turning her attention to Samson.

“That’s quite enough from you, sir. Back in the cage and have a good, long think about what you’ve done!” Ben shakes his head in disbelief as the owl launches himself back into the cage, drawing a shriek and several angry wing flaps from Delilah, as if she too is berating him. “And because of that you only get crickets tonight,” Rey continues, releasing said crickets into the cage. “Too bad, I had thought to give you a nice, juicy morsel.” Delilah shrieks again, turning her back on Samson as Rey latches the cage door and steps away to check on Ben.

By the time she turns he is already at the first aid station, fumbling to open the sizable medical kit with one hand. “Here, let me help,” she offers automatically, not thinking about her actions until she’s too close to stop.

He’s bleeding freely despite his attempts to staunch the flow, a small puddle of red dripping onto the counter now, and she freezes as the smell hits her.

She _really_ should have left before now.

She’s never noticed before, just how large and fit Ben is, and she rarely lets herself appreciate just how very _delicious_ he smells, but standing so close, the blood just _there_ she can’t miss it. Warm rich earth, a hint of something sweet almost like vanilla, and something deep and warm she can’t even name, but she _knows_ it, somehow.

There’s a burning, itching pain in her gums, and she’s salivating. She slaps a hand over her mouth with a cry and backs away, running full tilt from the lab.

From him.

Because it _is_ him.

After all this time she’s found him, and he doesn’t even _recognize_ her.

Dr. Ben Solo.

Hades reborn one final time.

This is it, the last lifetime of her bargain. It’s her last chance to reclaim him before he is lost to her forever.

But she _can’t._

_Underworld_ is crowded tonight, people standing three deep at the bar and a crush of bodies moving sinuously together on the dance floors on all three levels.

Poe is behind the bar tonight, smiling and flirting and ensuring the shared tip jar overflows. His head jerks up when she enters, as if sensing her desperation. He nods once and slips out from behind the bar, heading to an unmarked door painted the same glossy, swirling grey and black as the walls and tiled floor. She follows him, ducking into the private room and meeting him at the small, private bar reserved just for them, the “staff” at _Underworld._

“What can I get you?”

“Something with grenadine.”

Poe’s head snaps up. “You’ve found him.” He studies her then. “Why do I get the sense that’s not a good thing?”

“Because I can’t protect him, Poe, and if I’ve found him then we can be sure _they_ have.”

“Rey, sweetheart, don’t give up now. You’re _so_ close.”

“But it’s my last chance Poe. If I mess up this time…” she shakes her head as the words trail off. “I can’t afford to go into this without a plan.”

Poe shuffles around behind the bar and plops a drink in front of her. “You need reinforcements.” She just glares back at him over the bar top. “You know I’m right. You should have called them in before now.”

She took a long swallow of her drink. “Fine.” She spins in a circle on the backless bar stool, mumbling low, eyes closed as she holds out one hand, palm down. Across the room, the already black wall grows darker, three shadows coalescing. The dim lighting makes it seem a moment as if they share a single body but then they move forward, clearly three separate beings. “Cerberus,” Rey whispers softly and they move as one, gathering before her and dropping to their knees in concert. Kylo kneels in the center, shaggy head coming to rest on her knee as his eyes roll up to her face. Her hand rests naturally on his hair. He won’t be able to hold physical form long, not in the mortal world. Flip and Clyde are already flickering, becoming more insubstantial with each passing moment. Gods they look just like him. How, how had she missed it? All this time, right there under her nose. Maybe she really doesn’t deserve him, shouldn’t be allowed to win him back.

_What would you have of us, Dark Queen?_

Kylo’s voice rings out in her mind.

“I’ve found him.” She can almost see their original form, superimposed over them, three furred heads turned towards her, three sets of ears pricked up, three noses raised as if to catch his scent. “Go now, guard him well.” The three heads of Cerberus melt into shadow, a pool of darkness slinking along the floor and then they are gone, the sounds of a pack on the hunt ringing out behind them.

“ _That’s_ what he looks like now?”

She turns back to Poe. “Yes.”

“ _DAMN.”_

“Easy there, Apollo. Aren’t you taken?”

“I still have eyes, and again I say, DAMN. Even if he weren’t the one, how in the name of Olympus have you kept your hands off of _that_?”

She rolls her eyes and tosses back the rest of her drink. She needs to do some thinking. “I’m going to the shop.”

“Tell Rose I said hi, and I’m still waiting for that new bow and shield she promised me in 46 BCE!”

Rey waves absently over her shoulder. “Tell her yourself, you know where the forge is as well as I do.”

The shop is quiet, the only business in the little strip mall still technically open. The brightly painted sign proudly proclaiming the name _Dead Flowers_ is surrounded by blue and purple tinted lights, keeping the letters perpetually in shadow. She smiles in spite of herself, already more relaxed as the smells of good, moist earth and assorted blooms wrap gently around her, pulling her forward. She flips the sign on the door to “Closed” and turns the lock.

“Hi, Rey!” Rose calls from the back, freezing in the doorway as she catches sight of her friend. “You’ve found him,” she says softly. She nods and Rose comes forward, hugging her tightly.

“I’ve summoned the Heads of Cerberus,” she says, fingers dragging over the petals of a rose, the bud black and soft as velvet. It opens, displaying a brilliant purple center. “I’m scared,” she admits softly. “It’s my last chance.”

Rose just watches as Rey wanders the flower shop, blooms opening as leaves and stems seem to reach for her. She doesn’t seem to notice she’s trailing soft lilac flower petals behind her with every step. Her hair is lighter. Even her eyes have changed colors. “ _Kore_ ,” Rose breathes, and Rey jerks, hands fluttering around her as she spins around in horror.

It’s worse than she thought. She’d expected a few months, at least, maybe a year or two. At best she’ll have weeks.

Her mother’s probably already on the way, likely with Hera in tow as well.

How _those_ two ever became friends…

She crushes some mint leaves between her fingers, grin turning wicked as the sound of the leaves breaking down washes over her. She fancies she can hear the plant crying out in pain. She always has enjoyed torturing her husband’s former lovers—or those who wanted to be. She looks at Rose, eyes lighter and hair darker, back to normal again. The flower petals still drift behind her, but they’re silvery white and purplish black now, light and shadow as they should be.

“You need expert advice,” Rose says, waving her phone. “I’m summoning the goddess of Love.”

Rey makes a face. “May as well call War, too.”

“Oh, no worries, they’re together, Kay already texted me back.”

She regards her friend, reflecting once again that this is her favorite incarnation of Hephaestus ever. The fact that Hephaestus/Rose has spent the last several centuries as a happy triad with Aphrodite and Ares (currently going by the names Armitage and Kaydel, respectively) gives her hope. Right now, Rey needs hope.

Maybe she should call Pandora, see if there was any more hope in that damn box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the heads of Cerberus are named after AD characters, including Kylo Ren. No, this is not a reverse harem or Breylo fic. 
> 
> And, if you've ready any of my other fics, it should come as no surprise that there is a [Dead Flowers Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wSJBLLs3py0LqnQEiGlDN?si=eEkfI8qtR2qG9zWyFc1M3Q)


	2. Immortal Consorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey grabs a bite, then stumbles over an old enemy, and she is not pleased.
> 
>  _The second man stands frozen, eyes wide as he watches in terror, and it takes a moment before she realizes he’s not afraid of_ her.  
>  _That’s when the smell hits her, and she notices the green leaves and stems wrapping around his wrists and ankles._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated, along with a new pairing and a couple of characters.
> 
> Chapter starts with a flashback, denoted in _italics_.

_Seven seeds._

_Seven lives._

_“You will have seven lives to reclaim him, seven mortal incarnations of Hades before he is lost to you forever.” Zeus is stern, annoyed at being pulled away from his latest distraction. He strokes his beard, considering a moment before he gives a slow, chilling smile. “Kingship of the Underworld will be passed to Thanatos, and you, Persephone, will be banned to the mortal realm, neither living nor dead.”_

_The change is immediate, and for what must be days she knows only pain, and a burning hunger._

_The heads of Cerberus find her first. They are changed, but she will always know them. No longer one hound with three heads, but three spectral avatars, shadows dimly in the shape of men, but always with that same sense of loyal beast about them. They lead her to the safety of a cave, dedicated to the cult of Eleusis, long abandoned._

_Ironic, that a cave sacred in the celebration of her “return” to her mother each year has become her sanctuary._

_Hephaestus is the first to join her, adopting mortal form. Aphrodite and Ares follow, and the four set about waiting. Eventually, Apollo joins them as well, and suddenly they are five, and they learn how to live among mortals, but only she has the affliction, cursed by the king of the gods._

_She kills her first by accident, unaware what has been done to her, and Thanatos is suddenly there._

_“My Lady, there is little time. I may only come to you in a moment of death…”_

_He fades quickly. She kills her second in desperation._

Rey wakes with a gasp, chest heaving for breath she doesn’t need. She can’t say she hasn’t thought of that day. She has, every day of this lonely existence, through centuries of hope and despair, and 6 mortal lifetimes, six new incarnations of Hades, that ended in violence and blood.

She still doesn’t know who is hunting him, who took him from her the first time. Only that they are powerful enough to kill a god, and cunning enough to escape detection.

Her hands shake as she pushes her hair out of her face. She needs to feed. She should have done it yesterday, or the day before even. She is dangerously close to losing control. It’s probably why she dreamed of her first two kills, and Thanatos.

Thanatos, Death himself, and because of her deal, now King of the Underworld, Lord of the Dead. It’s been centuries (millennia, technically), and she still feels guilty about that. He was loyal to the point of devotion, and never wanted the throne. He’d defied Zeus at every turn, releasing Cerberus to her, coming to her if she were present at the moment of a mortal’s death.

She hasn’t seen him for a while…a little over thirty years, she supposes, since he came to tell her Eileithyia had sensed that Hades’ final incarnation had been born. He hadn’t been able to tell her where, or even whether male or female in this life, before their connection was severed.

Rey is no fool. She knows Zeus is aware of Thanatos’ defiance. Diminished though they all may be in this era of capitalism and technology, Zeus is still king of the Olympians, and he still has the power to thwart those who act against him.

She shakes her head. She can’t risk thinking of Thanatos so close to a feed. It could become the catalyst for another accident. She hasn’t killed a mortal in anything other than self-defense in centuries, and she refuses to slip up and break that streak now just because she misses her friend.

A shower is in order, and then a stop at _Underworld_. Even this early, someone will be there, and she has about a dozen willing donors at any given time whom she can call upon for a quick sip. Perhaps she should call two or three.

She has to go back to the lab, finish this final job. She tells herself it’s not solely to see Ben and find some way to spark his memory, to make him suddenly love her again. She knows that won’t work. It never has. He has to come to her.

She showers, dresses simply in all black—something she hasn’t done in a very long time—and ensures the darkest sunglasses she has been able to buy are in place before she makes the short walk to _Underworld._ The streets are crowded, the early end of day crowds bustling about, in a hurry to get home before the true rush hour traffic starts. The mortals pay her no mind as she slips by, not risking breathing for their comfort.

She practically runs the final block, slams into the building looking around in wild desperation. Finn sees her, shakes his head, already unbuttoning his collar and rolling up his sleeve. “You waited too long again, didn’t you?” he inquires calmly, and she winces and nods. “Wrist or neck?”

She stares at his neck, at the pulse beating there, licks her lips. She’s three steps closer before she realizes she is moving, and she shakes her head. “Wrist. Too long, neck’s not safe.” He nods, calmly holding out his arm to her. She pauses a moment, staring at him in gratitude.

“Go ahead, Peanut, take what you need.”

She feels it again, the burning, itching pain in her gums as her teeth shift, making room for the fangs descending. The ache spreads along her jaw. He grunts when she bites down, but she doesn’t have the mental capacity to apologize, too absorbed in the hunger, in the fiery burn of Finn’s blood as she swallows. He tastes of sunlit meadows, and the fresh wind after a gentle rain. She is able to force herself away as his pulse slows, his skin cooling a degree or two. He reaches for her and she has to step back, guilt crawling over her again at the glazed expression.

Too much. She took too much.

Again.

He isn’t in any real danger, but he’ll be tired and need a lot of water, not to mention iron and vitamin D3. Still, she feels bad about it. He’s her friend, and he’s always the first to offer himself as sacrifice when she’s been careless, not feeding as often as she should.

She doesn’t like using humans that way, doesn’t like risking their safety, or of tying them to her as thralls. That’s no way to live.

“Finn, can you hear me?”

He sways on his feet a moment, dancing to some tune only he can hear, before he blinks and shakes his head. “Yeah…I can,” he says softly enough she wouldn’t have been able to make out the words without supernaturally enhanced hearing.

She does apologize now, fighting back tears at the way he is looking at her. “I’m sorry Finn, so sorry, I shouldn’t have waited. Is…is Poe here?”

He nods, gestures to the staff room door. She has to help him walk over, and even still he nearly falls twice.

He won’t hold this against her, neither will Poe, but she won’t be able to forgive herself. She leaves him with Poe after making sure she didn’t take even more than she realized.

She thinks about it on her way to the lab, reflects on how lucky she is to have friends, muses on the oddity of the former Queen of the Underworld feeding on Apollo’s consort. Darkness and light, life and death.

She pauses, sensing something off nearby, and then she hears it. A gruff voice, just down the alley. “Hand it over, bitch, or I’ll mess up that pretty face.”

 _Not in my city_ she thinks, pulling off her sunglasses and turning to follow the sound. There are two of them, two men with a woman cornered in a blind alley. One has a knife, and the other is pulling at the woman’s purse.

“Am I interrupting?” she says once she’s close enough to touch, practically purring the words. The one with the knife spins around, blade slashing wildly. She sidesteps easily, grasping his wrist and applying pressure until his fingers flex and the knife clatters to the ground. She grasps his throat with her other hand, squeezing lightly as she catches his eyes. “Apologize, and then go turn yourself in.”

“I will apologize, and then turn myself in,” he mumbles, eyes glazed, before mumbling a slurred “Sorry,” in the woman’s general direction.

The second man stands frozen, eyes wide as he watches in terror, and it takes a moment before she realizes he’s not afraid of _her_.

That’s when the smell hits her, and she notices the green leaves and stems wrapping around his wrists and ankles.

 _“Minthe,”_ she hisses, attacking on instinct.

“Hey, slow your roll, babe! I’m not here to hurt anyone!”

“It was you, wasn’t it? All this time, you did it!”

Minthe’s eyes go wide. “What, no! Never!” She darts away from Rey’s outstretched hands. “I swear to you, I had nothing to do with what happened to Hades. I’ve been trying to help!”

“Right,” Rey scoffs, reaching for her again, stepping around the second mugger who has stumbled and fallen to the ground, staring up at them from a huddled position. He’s wet himself.

Minthe ducks her again. “I swear to you on the river Cocytus, I have had no part in this.” The very air around them resounds with the oath. Rey stops, stepping back and crossing her arms, waiting for Minthe so speak again. “I really do want to help. I…your mother took pity on me, after his second incarnation.” Rey winces. That was the worst death. “I…I’m sorry, Persephone. I never should have…I was jealous, and I thought I was in love with him, but Hades only ever had eyes for you. I begged your mother to let me atone, allow me to help you. I’ve…I’ve tried to protect him, every time since.”

Rey stares, shocked, and before she can speak or even process this change, something in the alley changes, shadows coalescing along the wall as the heads of Cerberus appear. “What’s happened?” Rey asks, at the same moment Minthe makes a happy sound and steps forward as if to kiss Kylo as Rey gapes.

Is _that_ why he seems more substantial than his brothers? Why he has the power to hold a physical form longer? An immortal consort?

The remaining Heads of Cerberus hover nearby, reaching out as if to touch Minthe, their hands passing through her, still no more than heavy shadows, but she sighs happily, leaning in as if she can feel them anyway, as if their touch has weight.

Rey makes a sound of disbelief, a sort of squeak escaping in her shock, and the Heads of Cerberus turn, kneeling before her.

 _Forgive us, my lady. We come with news. There is…someone…watching him. They are too powerful, veiled from our sight._ They disappear again, returning to Ben, and Rey is left staring at Minthe.

“Let me come with you, please, I can help.” Minthe casts a meaningful look at the second mugger, unconscious now, though it’s hard to say when he fainted. The mint plants binding him unwind and crumble into dust, leaving no evidence he was ever restrained. Rey thinks, briefly, that she should do something about him, but they have more important business to attend to at the moment. She nods once, and then she runs.

Minthe keeps up.

They arrive at the building quickly, and Rey doesn’t bother explaining the other woman’s presence, just mesmerizes the guards, tells them they only see one person, and then they are off. They don’t wait for the elevators, just take the stairs two at a time, and Rey tries to fight against the rising tide of memories, the image of every death he’s suffered, the haunting glimpses of what horrors could be awaiting her now.

The wait for the fingerprint and retinal scans is interminably long, and she wants to just rip the door off the hinges, but even with the limited powers she retained after being cast down from Olympus, and the preternatural strength of a vampire, she can’t.

When the door finally opens, the hydraulics screech as she forces it to open more quickly than the design makes it capable of, and she stumbles into the lab.

“Hello Rey, worried you’d be late?” Dr. Solo asks, glancing up absently as she freezes just inside the room.

Everything is…perfectly normal.

Minthe shuffles in behind her before the door closes.

“Oh, hi Baz, didn’t know you were coming by today,” Ben says, and Rey turns slowly, glaring at her.

_Baz?_

Minthe shakes her head slowly, taking a step back.

Ben looks between them, brow wrinkling. “Do you two know each other?”

“You could say that,” Rey hisses, still glaring at ‘Baz.’ She chances a glance back at Ben when she hears the stool he was perched on scraping across the floor. “How do the two of _you_ know each other?” she asks him.

“We’ve been friends for a few years. Bazine works with the bat sanctuary that saved Sidney and then gave him to me when he couldn’t be safely released.

Rey shakes her head. “Wait, a _rescue_ willingly gave an animal to a _research lab_?”

Ben’s face tightens, taking on that mask that gives nothing away, but his jaw is ticking. She’s offended him.

Too bad.

He may take excellent care of his animals and do essential, non-invasive research (never mind that she knows for a _fact_ that Sidney is happy here), but the idea that a _sanctuary_ would give up an animal for research makes her ill.

“I think we’re off topic,” she says, _trying_ not to show the hot fire of possessive jealousy. “Besides, it’s none of my business who you _associate_ with, and I apologize for _that_ Dr. Solo. I should get to work. It’s my half-shift evening.”

He purses his lips as she turns away from him, heading for Samson and Delilah. She can’t stop the tightening of her own jaw as the rumble of his low voice carries while he speaks with Minthe— _Bazine_ , and she maybe indulges in a momentary fantasy of setting both owls on the pair and laughing at the chaos.

But only for a moment, and then she opens the cage, greeting Samson, allowing him to cuddle under her chin for a moment as she strokes his feathers and he casts a baleful glare across the room, waiting until Ben looks up before he turns away and snuggles against Rey’s chest. He’ll get an extra tasty morsel tonight, just for that show of loyalty and affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...took an unexpected turn. Not sure why Minthe/Bazine and the Heads of Cerberus are a thing, but they were adamant...maybe because I did her dirty in Scrimmage? Anyway, hopefully that's not upsetting too many of you. This is still Rey/Ben Solo all the way, and Kylo/the Heads of Cerberus are NOT Ben. They look like him because that is one of the ways Hades' identity is confirmed in each mortal incarnation.
> 
> The number of pomegranate seeds Persephone ate that dictated how many months of each year she must remain in underworld with Hades varies depending on which version of the myth you read. I have chosen to make it seven because...I wanted it to be seven for the sake of this story...
> 
> The Eleusinian Mysteries were secretive initiation rites for a cult dedicated to Demeter and Persephone. That's the Cult of Eleusis reference.
> 
> Thanatos was the Greek god/spirit of non-violent death (obviously I am messing with that a bit). 
> 
> Eileithyia was the Greek goddess of childbirth, closely identified with Hera and Artemis.
> 
> Minthe was a Naiad who was or wanted to be a lover of Hades and claimed herself superior to Persephone. Persephone took revenge and turned her into garden mint.
> 
> And finally, one missing song has been added to the [Dead Flowers Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wSJBLLs3py0LqnQEiGlDN?si=eEkfI8qtR2qG9zWyFc1M3Q)


	3. Death Remains Constant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades gets his memories back and time is up.
> 
> _Before she can react, the man’s suddenly gone, and for a split second she thinks Kylo has materialized in front of her. He hasn’t.  
>  It’s Ben, nearly unrecognizable as Dr. Solo, and in the dim light and the dark clothing he’s wearing, she’s almost convinced he remembers, that he’s Hades again, her Hades.  
> It’s not until that moment that she realizes his eyes are the same.  
> For the first time, unlike any previous incarnations, his eyes are that golden brown, and they burn for her.  
> _

Rey goes about her work stiffly, even after the other woman leaves. She can feel Cerberus in the shadows, standing sentinel as she ordered. Their very presence sends pricks of irritation down her spine as well.

Once or twice she feels it, that same eerie, hostile presence, something watching them both, and she can’t tell where it’s coming from. It makes her even angrier.

She doesn’t speak to Ben unless he addresses her directly, and then answers only in clipped, terse words and phrases. She stresses “Dr. Solo” every time she says it, and by the end of her time she can feel the anger coming off of him in waves.

She takes the stairs again, pausing on the third floor to hand off the final piece collected for this job.

Minthe— _Bazine_ —is waiting for her when she finally exits the building, wordlessly falling into step with her and intent on following her back to _Underworld._ Rey needs a drink—and a _drink_ —after this disaster of an evening. She ignores Bazine to the best of her ability, and for her part Bazine allows it, not speaking and remaining a step behind.

She hesitates at the corner. Left will take her to _Underworld,_ as she planned; the crosswalk followed by a right, to the flower shop. Armitage and Kaydel are there with Rose, probably waiting on her. She inhales slowly. That’s the thing to do. She presses the button for the signal, Bazine silent in her wake.

The shop is already closed for the night, the lights dimmed. Night blooming jasmine fairly glows in the window while darker blooms hide in the shadows. She opens the door quietly, pausing to wait for Bazine to step in before she locks it behind them. The tinkling of the little bell draws the others from the back, and Kaydel fists her hands and hisses curses in every language she knows (there are a lot of them).

“Calm down, Ares, we’re on the same side,” Bazine says, strolling through the shop and studying the potted plants on the far side. She strokes gently at the mint leaves, expression inscrutable. Armitage and Rose each have a hold on Kaydel, physically keeping her back.

“It’s true, apparently,” Rey says softly. “The Heads of Cerberus… _vouched_ for her.” Her tone is a clear indication there is more to it.

The looks that draws from the others are comical. Armitage is the first to catch her meaning. “Indeed…” He narrows his eyes, studying Bazine before nodding once to himself and muttering something to Kaydel, the only bit Rey can hear are the final two words: ‘ _your_ son.’

Rose and Kaydel scoff in disbelief, flatly refusing to accept it.

Rey suspects it will be a trial to convince them. “She swore an oath on her father’s river,” Rey says calmly, “And she’s been helping Cerberus watch and guard him. Not just in this incarnation.”

She thinks Kaydel may explode, her face is so red.

Eventually the current incarnation of Ares does manage to get a handle on her emotions, and they sit down in the back room with mint tea—a passive-aggressive choice on Rose’s part—to discuss the most recent developments. Unfortunately, other than Minthe’s new mortal shell and her _connection_ to the heads of Cerberus there aren’t many.

Eventually Rey makes her excuses and leaves for Underworld, realizing she probably should have gone with her gut to begin with. Bazine follows, a silent shadow. Neither of them comment on the return of the lavender and lilac flower petals floating in Rey’s wake.

Poe isn’t at the bar tonight, probably home with Finn. Rey feels a pang of guilt again and resolves to feed on at least two of her regular donors before she leaves. She slings back three shots and makes her way to the dance floor on the main level, exaggerating the sway in her hips as she does, and she can _feel_ the eyes on her as she moves, almost taste the hunger and lust in the air. She allows herself to be quickly surrounded, enjoying the crush of bodies, the physical release of the dancing, at least until someone dares touch her, moving up close enough to grind against her and she spins around, eyes flashing. She man smiles down at her and reaches out, hand settling low on her back and dragging her close against him. He smells of sweat and cheap tequila, the kind they won’t deign to serve here. She pushes him away, and he makes a face, coming closer again.

Before she can react, he’s suddenly gone, and for a split second she thinks Kylo has materialized in front of her.

He hasn’t.

It’s Ben, nearly unrecognizable as Dr. Solo, and in the dim light and the dark clothing he’s wearing, she’s almost convinced he remembers, that he’s Hades again, her Hades.

It’s not until that moment that she realizes his eyes are the same.

For the first time, unlike any previous incarnations, his eyes are that golden brown, and they _burn_ for her. She slides her arms up, hands resting lightly on his shoulders, and lets him move her, lead her to the edge of the dance floor. Distantly, she notices the man being hauled out be security, Ben having handed him off the to the waiting bouncers.

She spies Bazine at the bar, nursing a mojito and watching them, and she remembers she is angry with him. Irrationally so, maybe, but that doesn’t make it less true.

Her face hardens as she glares up at him and steps back, breaking the hold of his arms around her waist. He shakes his head and returns her glare, leaning in close and practically growling, “We need to talk.”

She knows that look, oh does she know it, and she swallows hard and nods, silently leading him to the door and into the staff room. One of the bartenders is there on a break, but she takes one look at them and practically runs from the room.

“Why are you here, Dr. Solo?” she demands, arms crossed and leaning against the bar.

“I know what you did, Rey, and I am here to give you a chance to fix it.”

She stares. “Fix what?”

“Give it back, the information and the serum you stole.”

She feels ice creeping through her veins, but she doesn’t let herself react, just rolls her eyes. “You’re crazy.”

His eyes spark—literally, blazing with a golden light. Well, that’s interesting.

He stalks over, and she can see the shadows shifting around him. “Give it back. This is your only chance. We both know you won’t go to jail, but Snoke can ensure even you are never seen again. I would prefer that not happen.”

She doesn’t understand, and he can see it in her expression.

“Gods, Rey, you’re smarter than this. You had to know he was watching, that you couldn’t possibly get away with stealing my research. You’re dead, not undetectable.”

She gasps, choking for a moment.

He _knows_?

He smiles, something dark in the curl of his lips, and she realizes he’s always known, at least this part of it.

“It’s too late,” she says. “My courier is long gone.” And it’s true. Calling in a favor from Hermes means the fastest delivery ever, completed almost the moment the serum had been in her hand.

His face falls then, the façade cracking, and he is suddenly the quiet researcher again. Then he sighs and looks down at her again, that old intensity still in his eyes, and she wonders which is the mask. “He’ll kill you,” he whispers. “He’ll kill you and I can’t stop him because you’re nothing.” He shrugs, and looks away, and she makes a sound of pain at his words, nearly missing the softly whispered, “To _him._ You’re nothing to him…but not to me, Rey, and I can’t…please, there has to be a way to stop this. Help me save you.” He’s desperate, hands on her forearms as he gazes down at her.

“I’m not so easy to kill, and I don’t need you to save me. I just need to save you,” she whispers, never breaking eye contact as he bends down. The kiss is soft, light, just a meeting of lips, and then he straightens, eyes closed. He takes a breath, collecting himself, and when he opens his eyes again, that light is back, that golden glow, and as he looks down at her his lips part in surprise.

“You’re…glowing,” he says in wonder, one hand coming up to hover near her face. She leans into it, nuzzling against his palm.

“So are you,” she whispers.

Something crashes down around them, a crackling of power, and he crumples to the floor. She follows. “Persephone,” he whispers, one finger tracing the line of her jaw. “My Queen.”

His eyes close.

She doesn’t panic. Well, she only panics a little.

The first time this happened, she thought he was dying, but it’s just that the return of lifetimes of memories, of the faintest hint of power, and his connection to the Underworld is overwhelming to a mortal body.

She has _maybe_ three days.

Three days to make his body immortal or lose him again, this time forever.

It’s not enough time.

The shadows coalesce again, Cerberus waiting patiently for their master to awaken. Bazine has come in, settling in a chair near the door, the Heads of Cerberus arrayed calmly at her feet. Rey notes almost absently that they still look like Ben, but less so. Kylo, in particular, seems _older_ somehow, Flip and Clyde somehow darker yet more insubstantial, as if they’ve gone fuzzy around the edges. She adamantly refuses to think about what that might mean. Stroking Ben’s hair as she cradles his head in her lap.

It’s not a shock when her mother arrives, Hera in tow.

The figure that saunters in behind them, however…him she was _not_ expecting—ever again.

“Zeus,” she says, voice even. She’s impressed with how calm she manages to sound.

“So, you’ve found him at last. Not much time left though. Pity, that, so close and still no prize.”

Something clicks into place suddenly. All the near misses. All the _impossible_ “coincidences” over lifetimes.

“It was you,” she says. “WHY?”

“WHY NOT?” he bellows, the echo a rumbling of thunder that rattles the walls.

She glares at her mother, and Hera. “You knew, didn’t you? All this time. You KNEW.” She lowers Ben’s head gently to the ground and stands, putting herself between him and the Olympian high king.

“He took you from us, from me, your own dear mother. He needed to be punished,” her mother sniffs.

“FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, I WENT WILLINGLY BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!”

“Love you too, wife.” The words are soft, no more than a whisper behind her and she spins, finding that not only is he awake, he’s standing behind her, his steady presence a comfort. She backs up a step, pressing against him with a sigh, Cerberus rising up before them. A commotion at the door signals the arrival of Poe and Finn, followed closely by Rose, Armitage, and Kaydel. With the exception of Finn, the only true mortal in the room, they seem to almost _flicker_ , one moment their current incarnations, the next the gods of old, then back again. Bazine joins them as they come to stand protectively around Rey, around _Ben_.

“Our time is done, Father,” Poe says. “The time of Olympus is long over. You need to move on.”

Zeus doesn’t speak, just gets a mad gleam in his eye, cackling as the first lightning bolt takes Finn in the chest. The second comes straight at Rey, but there is a shout, and Bazine falls as she darts in front of Rey, taking the bolt meant for her. Then there is only chaos, screams and strikes and howls of rage as the Heads of Cerberus merge once more into their original form, a pitiful whine as the middle head—Kylo—snuffles at Bazine’s limp form. Poe holds Finn close, keening low, and Rey can’t help feel once again that this is all her fault.

In her despair she doesn’t see her mother move, can’t stop her before the blade strikes home, and Ben crumples.

She can’t stop screaming.

It’s over, it’s all over, and it’s her fault.

She has failed.

Darkness fills the room, the velvet black of her rose petals feels almost choking. Then a point of light, and they are there.

Thanatos and Makaria.

Makaria, Queen Consort of the Underworld, daughter of Hades and Persephone.

“Hi, Mom,” Makaria says softly, kneeling beside her as Thanatos faces Zeus in the rising light. She reaches out, hand hovering just above Ben’s hair. “Dad.”

He actually manages a weak smile.

“Mel says hi, she’s got some other things to take care of. She went to see Snoke,” Makaria says.

“That’s my girl,” Ben whispers. Something occurs to him and he looks up at Rey, eyes intense and worried. “Sidney, make sure he gets back to the sanctuary. And Samson and Delilah, there’s a zoo interested.”

Rey nearly laughs at the absurdity and nods. Yes, all the lab animals will be safe. She’ll make sure of it.

“Kiss me goodbye?” She sobs as she does so.

Thanatos levels his gaze at Zeus. “You are diminished, my lord. Mortals no longer have need of you, but Death remains constant.” He waves a hand and Zeus is just…gone. Hera and Demeter follow quickly, wrapped in shadows, and then Thanatos turns and strides across the room with purpose, dropping to one knee beside Rey.

“My lady.”

“Thanatos.”

“I can’t take all of you,” he says, voice hollow with regret. “The curse of Zeus remains.”

“I know. Take care of him.”

“You mistake my meaning,” he says. "The curse remains, but not with you." He nods meaningfully at Finn, somehow miraculously awake in Poe’s arms.

_Her last feed. She took too much._

Her eyes widen.

“Take us home,” she says softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put down the torches and DON'T PANIC - Epilogue will go up in like 2 minutes.
> 
> Makaria - daughter of Hades, Greek goddess of "blessed" or peaceful death, possibly the consort of Thanatos (so yes, in my world she is the consort of Thanatos and his queen)  
> Melinoe - Greek goddess of ghosts; depending on the myth either daughter of Hades and Persephone or of Persephone and Zeus...naturally I chose the Hades and Persephone option.


	4. Eileithyia's Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new neighbors are a friendly bunch!
> 
> _“I feel like I’ve known you all for ages.”_   
>  _There is good natured laughter and a chorus of agreement and Armitage lifts his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short epilogue.

The ring of the doorbell isn’t even a surprise anymore. It seems like everyone in the neighborhood has come by to welcome them, most with baked goods or gift baskets, and the neighbors directly across the street already invited them for dinner.

Rey has to admit, she’s exhausted but the prospect of homemade food neither of them has to cook has its appeal.

This time it’s just a delivery. She picks up the package and carries it inside, wondering if her husband ordered a housewarming surprise for her. It’s not unlikely.

The click-clack of blunt claws on tile draws her attention. “Hi, Cerberus. How’s my baby today?” The black lab whines and she kisses his nose as she scratches his ears. She digs into the jar on the counter—one of the first things they unpacked—and pulls out two of the bone shaped treats. “One for you, and one for Minthe. You share!” Cerberus gives a low whine and takes both gently, trotting across the kitchen to the large bed where his mate rests, belly distended with their pups. He places both treats in front of her nose and she bumps one back to him with a happy tail thump.

“Sweetheart, have you seen my black sweater?”

“Which one?” she calls back down the hallway.

“You know, the _one_.”

She rolls her eyes. “Ben, you have _six_ black sweaters,” she says as he saunters into the kitchen, toweling at his damp hair. She takes a moment to appreciate the view. They’ve been married six months and she still marvels every day at catching this man’s eye—and heart. She’d been in the community garden, up to her elbows in topsoil and fertilizer, and he’d stopped cold in the middle of his run when he passed her, backtracking to introduce himself.

Their first date had been a disaster, as had their second, and when he actually asked her out again, she _knew_ he was the man she would marry.

He’d been there for her as she finished school, her biggest supporter. He’d actually cried when she got her doctorate. When he dragged his feet she proposed, and he cried again. She leans back against the kitchen island, chin tilted up to meet his kiss, and murmurs, “And _that_ sweater is in the dresser drawer.”

“Thank you, Dr. Solo,” he says with a cheeky grin and another kiss, this one far less innocent.

They make it across the street only 10 minutes late.

Rose Tico-Hux, the first neighbor who came over to welcome them to the neighborhood, opens the door with a bright smile, motioning them inside and thanking them profusely for the bottle of wine Ben had selected and brought as a gift for their hosts. “Come in, come in, you’ve met my husband Armitage,” Rose says, and the man in question gives a polite nod and a small smile from his seat on the couch. Rose gestures to the pretty blonde woman beside Armitage. “And this is our third, Kaydel, she runs the martial arts school on the edge of town.” Kaydel greets them warmly.

“I think you know Poe Dameron, he’s right next door to you,” Rose continues, “And this is his husband Finn.” Finn smiles and once again, as she has experienced with each of them, Rey is struck with an odd sense of déjà vu, and a soul-deep certainty that she knows him.

Finn yawns and apologizes. Poe leans across him. “You’ll have to forgive Finn, this isn’t his natural environment.”

“Yeah, he’s a real night owl,” Kaydel says and Finn shakes his head with a laugh.

“No, really,” Poe says, “I married a vampire—sleeps all day, works all night, allergic to garlic and silver.” Finn smacks at Poe lightly and shakes his head.

“Oh, are you really allergic to garlic?” she asks. Finn nods and she glances at Ben eyebrows rising in surprise. “So am I. We’ll have to get together and discuss recipes and safe restaurants sometime.”

To Rey’s immense relief, she is able to eat safely, because everyone who contributed to the meal was careful to consider Finn’s allergy.

She and Ben click instantly with everyone, and by the time they are all seated around the table she finds herself proclaiming, “I feel like I’ve known you all for ages.”

There is good natured laughter and a chorus of agreement and Armitage lifts his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

“So, what brought you to town?” Finn asks around a mouthful of pasta salad.

Rey swallows the sip of wine she just took. “Work. I just got a job at the University.”

“Dr. Solo, here,” Ben says proudly, “Is a professor of classical literature and mythology, focusing on ancient Greece.” Kaydel chokes on whatever she was eating, waving off everyone’s concern and claiming she had been eating too fast.

“And what about you, Ben? Are you working, too?”

“He’s going to be a house spouse for a while,” Rey chirps, grinning at him as she shovels in an obscenely large bite of barbecue chicken.

“I parted ways with my last boss over ethical and moral differences. I had them, he didn’t,” Ben said. “It ended up being a moot point, he was committed a few weeks later, kept babbling about seeing ghosts everywhere.” He shakes his head and leans back in his chair. “But I’m thinking I may shift focus. I was a researcher, but I really wanted to just be a vet. I’d kind of like to get back to that, maybe open my own practice locally after I catch up on some classes and renew and update all my certifications and licensure.”

“You can practice on Minthe. She can be your first patient,” Rey quips, glancing up as Poe drops his fork.

“Minthe?”

Rey smiles. “Yeah, our dog, well one of them. Minthe and Cerberus. They’re rescues, black labs. We only planned on adopting the one, but she’s pregnant and they were so sweet together we just couldn’t bear to separate them.”

“Ah, that’s cool!” Poe says, a little overly enthusiastic.

Rey looks at her husband and rolls her eyes. “I told you not to bring so much wine,” she teases, causing laughter all around the table.

Finn takes advantage of the momentary distraction to whisper to Poe, “Do you think they remember?”

“Nah,” Poe says. “They drank the waters of Lethe, and Eileithyia said they’re basically brand-new mortals, like they've been reborn.”

Finn nods and stares at the pair, unsure whether he believes it. Ben sees him staring and, with a quick glance at Rey as if making sure she's not looking, he winks. For just a moment, Finn thinks his eyes flash with a golden light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Greek mythology, Lethe (the river of forgetfulness) is one of the rivers in the Underworld. 
> 
> No plans to continue in this universe at this time, but thanks for coming along with me.
> 
> [Dead Flowers Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wSJBLLs3py0LqnQEiGlDN?si=eEkfI8qtR2qG9zWyFc1M3Q)


End file.
